Pawprints in the Snow
by Saffron Panther
Summary: Garth and Lilly attempt a romantic getaway during the early winter, retreating to a special cave Garth found in his youth and offered help by two of Garth's former Alpha schoolmates. However, their good times are complicated by an abrupt snowstorm. Even worse, there are signs that the local legend of a murderous, Alpha-hating White Wolf might be true...
1. The White Wolf

Two wolves cross the snow-covered terrain of Eastern Pack territory, one occasionally pausing to check for her pawprints. Snow crushes and crumbles under her paws, brushing against her pads as she self-consciously presses harder. The white she-wolf examines her breath hanging on the cool air and waves her left forepaw at it. She giggles and more wispy smoke trails from her mouth. A red-orange wolf ahead of her pauses and looks back. The white she-wolf abruptly stops and directs her eyes towards her paws. After a few seconds, she walks until she is once again at the red wolf's side. He raises an eyebrow when she checks for her pawprints once again.

"Is something wrong, Lilly?"

Lilly blushes a little. "Sorry, Garth. I'm just remembering something Kate would tell me when we were cubs. How she'd tell me that I was so white and light that I wouldn't leave pawprints in the snow. That if I wasn't careful enough, I would get lost. But she doesn't tell me that now, of course. But I guess I sometimes still get curious if it could be true. It is pretty silly, isn't it?" Lilly coyly smiles, one bang brushing over her left eye.

Garth shakes his head and resists the urge to chuckle. Somehow, he knew her sister was involved. "You're full of surprises, Lilly."

"Well, so are you. I mean, you haven't told me where we're going yet," Lilly gently nudges him.

Garth smirks. "I thought you liked that about me. The big mysterious Alpha you'd get to _know_ better," he lowers his tone.

Lilly returns the smirk. "Oh, believe me, I do. But, I'm still not very familiar with Eastern Pack territory. We're not lost, are we?" The she-wolf looks around.

The red wolf chuckles. "Come on, Lilly. Give me a little more credit than that." Garth cranes his head in the direction ahead of them. "It's just a little further, I promise."

Lilly nods and follows as Garth starts again. She looks around more of the snow-mounted ledges and cliffs surrounding them. Sometimes, she'd catch a glimpse of an Eastern Pack wolf or two disappearing among the trees and rocks, black and dark gray blobs against the white stretched beneath the pristine blue sky. She'd always thought of the Eastern Pack territory as another world altogether, formerly coexisting but kept away in the time before Garth's father Tony nearly declared war on her father and their Alphas. But seeing it since her marriage to Garth, there were a lot of the familiar trees, familiar rocks, familiar tall grasses, and familiar caves with wolves that weren't as different as before. She smiles a little at this comfort.

Leaving pawprints in the snow behind her, Lilly follows as Garth selects one of the ascending cliff-side paths. A thick patch of jagged rocks puncture the ground like the rotted teeth of a severed jaw. Her mate breaks into a sprint befitting his Alpha training and leaps over the rock patch. A few chunks of snow fly into the air as Garth lands and turns back to Lilly. The she-wolf pauses and examines the jagged rocks. She readies herself, quietly assuring she can do this, and starts to run. As she nears, Lilly prepares to jump.

The white she-wolf soars directly over the rock patch, forelegs stretched to fly. She crashes directly into Garth, sending both wolves tumbling to the snow. Lilly gets to her paws and spits snow fragments lodged into her mouth. Garth blinks white from his eyes and shakes his fur clean. He turns back to check on Lilly who looks down at her paws like an ashamed cub. Nevertheless, a small giggle leaves her mouth. Garth smirks and the two begin to laugh. After a few seconds, they nuzzle before Garth leads once again.

Trees pass them, casting long shadows over the narrowing path. Lilly checks around, wondering if another Eastern Pack wolf might appear. Every so often, a wolf-shaped shadow appears among the trees, only to rematerialize as a jagged tree stump or a lone overturned rock. Even when they seemed to move, they stop being wolves when she looks again. Garth continues his stride, pausing briefly by a slashed tree to catch his breath. Lilly rests next to him.

"Are we almost there?" she asks between pants.

"Yeah, we'll be there soon enough. I just need a moment."

Lilly chuckles. "I guess even my mighty Alpha needs a breather."

"Well, an awesome Alpha needs to know when to take it easy. Rushing into stuff isn't always the best strategy," Garth turns to the tree. "Yeah, we're definitely heading the right way."

Lilly looks up. The slash marks now resemble the crude image of a howling wolf with mismatched and unaligned teeth. Crude trees and an unfinished mountain appear around the wolf's head. Above them, several uneven chevrons resembling birds hang within range, one or two falling towards the wolf. She giggles, remembering how Garth's howl used to drop birds straight from the sky. Before she helped him with that, of course. Lost in this moment of nostalgia, Lilly brushes her right forepaw against Garth's side.

"Yeah, I had an artistic phase when I was younger," Garth continues, smiling at his mate's touch. "Dad wasn't exactly proud, but I figured this would be a good place as any to try it out. Guess I wasn't as good as I thought." The red wolf rubs his temple with his right forepaw.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think it's bold. It shows how powerful you really are, bringing down birds with your mighty howl" Lilly sticks out her tongue.

Garth glares, but then breaks into a laugh. "Thanks, Lilly. Well, we should get going. We're in the right direction."

Lilly nods and gets to Garth's side as they near the top. Another wolf-shaped shadow manifests at the corner of her eye. Probably just another tree stump. Except tree stumps don't move.

The white she-wolf jumps a bit as a cinnabar-colored wolf leaps from between the trees. Garth moves in front of Lilly and bares his teeth, a growl escaping through them. The cinnabar-colored wolf growls back as another wolf approaches, this time the color of dust. He runs directly into the cinnabar wolf's side, falling onto his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Edmund!" the pale tan wolf immediately gets to his paws and backs next to the cinnabar wolf.

Garth ceases to growl. "Edmund?"

The cinnabar wolf returns the gesture and cranes his head in Garth's direction. Garth cautiously approaches the other wolf. Much to Lilly's surprise, Garth suddenly tackles the cinnabar wolf. Edmund rises to throw Garth off, successfully knocking the red-orange wolf to his side. The pale tan wolf watches on, chanting Edmund's name. Garth, however, slips from Edmund's grip and pins Edmund to the snow.

"Alright! Alright! You're top Alpha! I admit defeat!" Edmund utters.

Garth releases with a chuckle. "Yep, you're definitely Edmund alright. And I still manage to kick your butt so easily after all this time."

"Well, at least I don't have that ridiculous mane." Edmund snarks.

"You're just jealous that you're not as good-looking," Garth responds.

The pale tan wolf nods. "He's got you there, Edmund!"

Lilly cautiously watches the two Eastern Pack wolves interacting with her mate. She leans close to Garth. "Who are they?"

"Them? Oh, they're just a couple of Alpha Schoolmates of mine," Garth replies.

"Oh really? Had you forgotten about us already? I thought with our packs being…" Edmund cringes a little. "…_united_, you would remember us. But I guess we do blend in with all the Alphas that follow you, don't we?"

"I didn't forget," Garth smiles. "I've just been busy."

"I'm sure," Edmund takes a few steps towards Lilly. "So this is the Omega you married."

"Yes, my name is Lilly," the she-wolf tells him.

"She's pretty," the pale tan wolf interjects.

Edmund glares at him, making the wolf back away once more. He turns back to Lilly and extends his right forepaw. He collects hers and kisses it. She steps back a little when he releases. "Don't mind Stephen. He's still quite impulsive."

"Yet, you still let him hang around," Garth approaches Stephen and raises his curled left forepaw to brush against Stephen's head. The pale tan wolf laughs and shakes him off. "So, what are you two doing out here anyway?"

Edmund raises his head. "We were just passing by and saw two wolves coming around. You never know who they might be anymore. We Eastern Pack Alphas must always be alert. Could be dealing with Rogues, you know."

Garth nods. "Maybe. But in this case, it's just me and Lilly. You can rest easy, Edmund."

Edmund responds with a mock salute. "Whatever you say, oh almighty Alpha." The cinnabar wolf cracks up once more. Stephen and Garth join in and Lilly, feeling a little easier now, laughs too. The cinnabar wolf calms himself and tugs on Stephen. "Well, we should let the newlyweds get back to their honeymoon."

Stephen nods and gets to Edmund's side as the cinnabar wolf approaches Lilly once more. "Well, I do hope both of you have a good time. And I'll be sure to keep an eye on you," Edmund added with a knowing smirk. Lilly falls back a little as Edmund dramatically jumps back, at first screaming but then laughing. "I always keep an eye on white wolves in these parts."

"I'll keep both my eyes on her," Stephen adds.

Edmund brings his left forepaw down on the back of Stephen's head. "We must really be going. It was good to see you again, Garth. And it was…good to make your acquaintance as well, Miss Lilly. You seem trustworthy enough."

The two wolves disappear among the trees, laughter fading into the snow. Lilly shakes her head and rubs her temple with her left forepaw. Garth is still chuckling when she lowers it. She glares, wondering how he couldn't have heard what Edmund just said to her. Nevertheless, she softens when her mate stops chuckling.

"Ah, it's been a while. Well, shall we get going?"

Lilly stifles a little growl and nods.

Garth leads once again, approaching the top of the ascending path where the trees split apart to reveal a corona of sunlight atop the brighter snow. He blinks until his eyes adjust and turns to see Lilly approach. The red-orange wolf frowns when he sees Lilly near, glaring at the ground with another growl forming in her throat. Garth cautiously steps aside as Lilly stops near him.

"Um, are you alright, Lilly?"

Lilly pauses and shakes her head. She turns to Garth with her usual coy smile. "I'm fine, Garth."

"Well, good. We're just about there."

Garth takes a few more steps and pauses at the start of a path leading towards a cave formed in the cliff. Lilly observes the rather steep drop a few feet from the cave's entrance. She barely manages to choke down the gulp in her throat.

"Don't be nervous. Just stick close to the cliff and you'll be fine."

Her mate walks along the cliffside, kicking some clumps of snow out of his way and over the edge. Lilly takes a deep breath and follows. Although she tries not to look to her right, she freezes as her eyes dart to the drop. She notices a couple trees stretching from the bottom with their branches extended like arms reaching towards the cliff. The barbs lining the wood aren't helping.

"Come on, Lilly," Garth calls patiently.

She closes her eyes and takes another deep breath. The white she-wolf breaks into a run to the entrance, almost running into Garth. Lilly's eyes shoot wide open. "I'm sorry, Garth! I'm sorry!"

Garth shakes the snow from his fur. "It's okay, Lilly. Now, let's get inside."

The red-orange wolf bows his head, gesturing for her to enter first. Lilly takes a few steps into the cave. Garth follows her and sighs. "This old place. Even Alphas need some time to themselves."

_What's so special about this place?_ Lilly wonders. _Well, I guess it does have a nice view. And it is away from everything and his dad._ She smiles._ Kinda like my little hiding spots. I guess we are perfect for each other after all._

Garth examines some of the claw-scratched markings on the left wall. Lilly sits beside him and observes. Another crudely etched wolf with imperfect teeth leaps into the air, leaving another wolf collapsed with comical X's in place of the first wolf's blazing eyes. Not far from it, another image of the dominant Alpha fights a smaller but feral-looking wolf as a stern, closed-mouthed, much older-looking wolf watches on. Lilly makes note of the distinct attention given to the hair around the older wolf's face. Dead ringer for Tony. Just like in the next image of father and son wolves arguing, teeth bared and the older wolf lined with slashes and scrapes.

Her mate laughs nervously. "Guess I had a lot to venting to do then."

"Growing up with your father, I don't blame you," Lilly moves to look at the others. Most of them are like the previous etchings, showing the crude, younger Garth growling and establishing his dominance over the other wolves while Tony seemed to flip-flop between approval and more heated arguments. More collapsed Alphas. Maybe Edmund and Stephen are in that mess somewhere, X's in their eyes and tongues sticking out. She smirks at the thought.

Garth wraps his left foreleg over the back of her neck. "Come on. I haven't shown you the best part yet."

Lilly watches as Garth moves to the back of the cave where a heavy rock stuck out like a sword broken from its hilt. The Alpha pushes against it, causing a dull scraping sound to echo through the cave. Lilly briefly covers her ears, releasing when the rock slides into a long crevice. Garth pants and stretches his strong hindlegs, shaking off the dirt and bits of rock. Lilly's tail begins to instinctively fan herself.

Recovered, Garth motions to the hole in the wall. Lilly pauses and looks to the cave's entrance. She turns back and sees Garth waiting patiently with a reassuring smile. Returning it, Lilly walks to the entrance as he disappears through it. Lilly steps on the other side.

A series of collapsed stones lead down to a chamber a few feet below in a makeshift staircase. Lilly's eyes slowly widen at the lovely amethyst light that coats the cavern walls. She looks for the source, finding a large cluster of purple crystals huddled at the ceiling, hanging like icicles trapped in the sunlight peeking through cracks above them. The white she-wolf stares intently at the sight, almost tripping on the first step down.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Garth calls from below.

Lilly shakes her head and returns to reality. The she-wolf carefully walks down the steps, noting how the amethyst color gets deeper and richer as she descends. After a couple minutes of watching purple and white move across her field of vision, Lilly sees Garth in the center of the bottom chamber. He sits before a small pool of water, tinted with hints of purple and white light. Water drips down from the ceiling and leaves ripples that meld and distort Garth's face on the surface. Lilly sits next to him and almost chuckles at the unusual chimera formed from the ripples blending her and Garth's reflections.

"I found this place by accident. I was so mad at Dad once that I just started kicking that rock in the back. Suddenly, it fell over and I found this deep, dark hole leading to who knows where. Of course, being the brave and strong Alpha I've always been, I wasn't afraid when I went down to take a look."

Lilly lowers her head and laps from the water. Her tongue tingles a little from its oddly sweet taste. She laps a little more, noticing her reflected face struggling to keep itself together on the surface. A larger, well-timed drop hits her on the head and trickles over left bang before landing in the pool. A blob of white stares back at her, shuddering in the ripple. Garth fails to hold back and laughs.

A devious smirk on her face, Lilly bats her paw in the water and splashes Garth. The red-orange wolf steps back, spitting and shaking. She giggles and realizes too late when Garth tackles her to the ground. Lilly playfully growls and presses her forepaws against Garth's stomach, shoving him off. The red-orange wolf tries to get to his paws when Lilly jumps onto his back, knocking him down. Garth struggles beneath her, making Lilly smirk as she licks the back of his neck. He flips over, attempting her tactic of pressing against the stomach. His mate thinks quickly and pushes her forelegs against his. After a few seconds, Garth stops trying to escape.

She licks his nose. "I win."

"Alright. You win this time." Garth can't help but smile.

The two lean close and nuzzle. But the romantic moment is cut short when her stomach starts to rumble. Lilly slides off and brushes her stomach with her left forepaw.

"Heh, guess it has been a while. Well, don't worry about it, Lilly. This place is right next to a major caribou route they use in the fall and winter. I'll try to be back in no time," Garth rolls to his feet and makes his way towards the collapsed stones. He looks back for a moment. "You'll be alright down here?"

The she-wolf nods. "I'll be fine. Make sure to bring me back any livers and hearts if you can."

Garth nods and moves up the collapsed stones. He checks the rock near the entryway and gives it another push just to be sure it's set in place. The red-orange wolf checks to make sure no wall has collapsed or rock has fallen. Garth breaks into a run outside the cave and along the path, kicking snow over the ledge. Lilly's mate vanishes among the trees lining the way back down.

A red-orange blur moves past the blackgray bark, taking time to check for the scent of caribou. Catching onto the smell of a dropped caribou in the distance, Garth leans forward and kicks his hindlegs. The Alpha trips over his paws when a snowball strikes him right between the eyes. Garth blinks out the chunks of snow and ice and shakes his head as he tries to stand up. Another snowball scrapes the left side of his face.

"Losing your touch already?"

Garth throws himself to the side, avoiding another snowball that breaks on a tree branch. He sees Edmund and Stephen laughing and can't help but smirk. "Very funny, guys."

The cinnabar and pale tan wolves return to the fallen caribou behind them, preparing to divide up the main body. Garth walks towards them, getting a whiff of the fresh kill. Edmund turns back and grins. "Pretty good caribou, huh? Stephen caught this one."

Stephen nods. "They always did compliment my hunting prowess in Alpha School."

"That's good. I was just fixing to get something for Lilly and myself."

"Oh really? Well, there's plenty to go around," Edmund motions for Garth to approach the fallen caribou. "Help yourself."

Garth raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Anything for an old friend," Edmund offers a reassuring smile.

Stephen lifts his head, licking some errant blood from his lower lip. He notices Edmund's gesture and steps back. "Yeah. I can always hunt another one if I have to. There's a good number of them still around."

"Yeah, I know," Garth examines the kill, taking note of the bite marks at the back of the neck. Just like back in Alpha School when Stephen would jump his first caribou with teeth seized in the same spot. The caribou lies slumped on his side, the severed antlers stabbed into the snow like sharp trees. Garth takes another whiff. A good kill.

"Good one, huh?" Stephen's tail wags.

"Yeah, sure," Garth nods. "So, you guys still checking around for Rogues?"

"You can never be too sure," Edmund responds. "We dealt with suspected Rogue activity a week ago. A couple of angry Alpha-wannabes tried to ambush us during a hunting session. But we showed them." He grins at Stephen who returns it. "Too bad you weren't here. Guess we all have our responsibilities."

"You are lucky though. To be married to such a cute wolf," Stephen sighs.

"She _is_ a white wolf though. And you know how white wolves really _love_ Alphas."

Garth stifles a chuckle and shakes his head. "Listen, guys. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make those kind of jokes around Lilly. I don't think she'd appreciate it."

Edmund waves his left forepaw. "Ah, it's all in good fun. We know she's not really like that. I'm sure she prefers just _one_ Alpha, am I right?"

Garth blushes as Edmund and Stephen laugh. He turns to the collapsed caribou and readies to start biting into the carcass.

"Why don't you take the whole thing?" Edmund grips the caribou and drops it onto Garth's back. The red-orange wolf slips, falling beneath the kill with Edmund and Stephen laughing. Garth grunts as he hoists the caribou corpse and gets to his paws. He chuckles, managing to shift it into the right spot.

"You sure you don't need help carrying all that back to wherever you and Lilly are hanging out?" Edmund smirks.

"No. I. Got. It," Garth rebalances it on his back as his left legs threaten to give out. "I'll be fine. Thanks again, guys."

"Don't mention it," Edmund slaps his left forepaw against Garth's side. The caribou slumps off Garth's back, dragging the red-orange wolf with it. Edmund and Stephen laugh again as Garth recollects the kill. "Sorry about that, Garth. I guess I thought you were stronger than that."

Garth growls, rebalancing the caribou once again. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, thanks." He begins making his way back towards the cave. He rolls his eyes as Edmund and Stephen take their leave, laughing once again. _It doesn't matter. At least it's good meat. Lilly will like this._

* * *

Lilly watches her mate disappear at the top and turns her attention back to the pool. She tilts her head towards the ceiling to check for any more drops aimed at her. Seeing none, she leans forward and gets another drink of the sweet water. Her eyes seem a shinier shade of purple, set to glow by the crystals above. She smiles.

Another drop strikes the surface, making her reflection shrink and shudder. For a moment, she looks like a cub, back from the days before Kate would be trained and groomed for Alphahood. Her bangs fall over her eyes once again, like a memory trying to hide herself.

_I always keep an eye on white wolves in these parts._

The white she-wolf closes her eyes. Lilly

* * *

_reopens her eyes and backs further into the hole in the cavern wall. It's been a hiding spot for her ever since when she and Kate were little and she needed to just slip away for a while. Of course, that was some time ago, when she was much smaller than now. The rocks dig into her skin, but she holds back the whimper building in her throat. She brushes the bang covering her left eye and looks for any signs of the others. The sounds of paws rushing get closer, prompting Lilly to tuck away once more._

_ Unfortunately, one of the other cubs finds her, sharp blue eyes staring under a crown of shaky gray hair. He turns back and yells. "I found her, guys!"_

_ While he looks away, Lilly dives out of the hole in the cavern wall and collides with the other cub. She tumbles onto her back, legs kicking in the air like a turtle unable to get back up. The other cub recovers and laughs, batting one forepaw at the side of her head._

_ "Leave me alone, Toby!" Lilly kicks at his head._

_ Toby dodges and spins her around while she's stuck on her back. Lilly tries to get to her paws when Toby presses her tail down. The little white wolf collapses like turtle roadkill and she tries to pull herself away. Toby laughs and lets her go, making Lilly tumble and roll. Other cubs near, joining Toby in laughter._

_ "Leave me alone, you guys!"_

_ "Or else what, weirdo?" a red-brown female cub sneers._

_ Lilly gets to her paws and glares at them, trying to strike a brave pose with her legs arched. "Or else! Or else…" her bangs fall in front of her eyes. "I'll tell my Dad!"_

_ Toby and the others laugh. "Right, because we're _sooooo_ scared of your Dad!" Toby jeers._

_ "Well…well…you should be! My Dad's Pack Leader!"_

_ "Oooh, "Mah Dad's Pack Weader!""_

_ "Yeah, we're so scared! Well, your Dad's not here!" Toby snaps._

_ "No, but I am."_

_ The cubs back away a little as an older tan she-wolf approaches behind Lilly. The white cub looks up and huddles against her. Her mother places her left forepaw on Lilly's back._

_ "Have you little monsters been giving my girl a hard time?" Eve starts stroking her daughter's back. Her voice is oddly calm._

_ The cubs huddle together with the exception of Toby who shakes his head. "We were just playing with Lilly. No harm done. She just got a little scared as usual. But she's just a crybaby anyway."_

_ Toby realizes his mistake as Eve releases her daughter and approaches him until she easily towers over the little guy. He looks up and gulps at the sight of her wide smile revealing all of those teeth._

_ "Do you know what I do to cubs that make my Lilly cry?"_

_ Toby barely manages to shake his head._

_ The she-wolf lowers her head until their eyes meet. She still maintains the smile. "I send them to the moon where they can't make her cry ever again. Now, tell me. Would you like a trip to the moon?" Her eyes widen._

_ Toby breaks into a run, nearly tripping over his paws several times in the process. Eve chuckles and turns her attention back to Lilly. The white pup raises her left forepaw. "Why does Toby get to go to the moon?! I wanna go to the moon! I wanna go to the moon!"_

_ Eve shakes her head. "No, you don't, sweetie. You wouldn't like my trips to the moon." She pats Lilly's head. "Now, what did they do to you?"_

_ Lilly hangs her head. "They kept chasing me around again. Said I was a weirdo and stuff." She jumps up. "But I did try to get back at them! I told them that I'd tell Dad!"_

_ Eve pulls Lilly to her. "That's nice, dear. But from now on, you just let me handle this stuff, alright?"_

_ Lilly nods._

_ "Good. Now, come back inside. We'll be having dinner soon."_

_ "Okay, Mom," Lilly follows. "Um, Mom? Why do they consider me a weirdo? Is it because I'm not the same color?"_

_ Eve cringes. "There's nothing wrong with your color. You have a very nice shade of white. And I'm proud to have you as a daughter. And anyone who tries to tell you otherwise better hush up or I'll give their cave a fresh coat of paint."_

_ Lilly stares in confusion._

_ "You'll understand when you're older, Lilly. Now, your father should be back soon. Where is Kate? Kate! Ah, that girl will be the death of me."_

_ The little white wolf hangs her head again. "So do they just not like white wolves?"_

_ Eve sighs. "Did I ever tell you about The White Wolf?"_

_ "No," Lilly scoots next to Eve._

_ "Well, The White Wolf was like you. She had beautiful white fur and she came from a wonderful Alpha family. But unfortunately, she was an Omega. Not that there's anything wrong with being an Omega," Eve offers a smile. "But the other cubs didn't take too kindly to her presence. They mocked her, treated her like garbage, made her cry…" Eve scrapes her claws against the cavern floor. Lilly covers her eyes._

_ "Sorry, honey. Despite all that, she grew up and became a beautiful young wolf. But they still didn't like her. So they did mean things to her. They scratched up her paws and pushed her around. They shoved her. They tried to break her…" Eve scrapes her claws again, much slower this time. Lilly hides behind her bangs. Her mother bares her teeth and glares at the cavern wall, ears folded against her head. Eve pauses and sees Lilly trying to hide, relaxing herself. "I'm sorry, Lilly. It's just that they were really cruel to her. And then, one winter day, they drove her out into the snow…"_

_ "Did she get back home?" Lilly asks._

_ Eve turns away from her daughter to hide her frown. When she faces Lilly again, her smile returns. "But that's just an old story. Just don't let the others push you around, Lilly. And if they do keep it up, I'll send them all to the moon. You can be sure of that."_

_ The little she-wolf nods. When Eve turns back to the cave's entrance, Lilly_

* * *

reopens her eyes at the sound of her stomach.

The white wolf rubs her temple, mentally replaying that memory again. Oh, those stupid cubs coming after her just because she had white fur. She shakes her head and stretches her forelegs, yawning a bit. Her reflection in the pool shows the glowing eyes again. Lilly thinks back to that story about that White Wolf driven out into the snow by other wolves who didn't like her because of her white fur. Why would wolves act so cruel? Well, if that really happened. And even if it didn't, it still made her sick to her stomach.

Her stomach growls a little more, prompting Lilly to look about the cave for any possible distractions. She notices hints of white etched on the cavern wall furthest from the pool. The she-wolf approaches and observes a series of crudely-drawn wolves just like the others. Another feral-looking wolf appears, illustrated in white with flecks of snow around it. Its eyes are carved deep into the rock, staring back at her with chunks of coal. It bends its head down and stretches its scarred paws, all while maintaining its gaze.

In the next etching over, the white wolf lunges at one of the two Alphas attempting to encircle it. Another Alpha is collapsed at its clawed hindpaws, buried under white flecks with a frozen look of horror on its face. The white wolf expands its mouth, revealing red-tipped teeth. The white wolf reappears, now confronted by the younger Garth and standing atop a fallen Alpha with the same X's for eyes. The white wolf tries to latch onto Garth's throat as Garth charges at its chest. In the final image, Garth stands and howls triumphantly over the now-collapsed white wolf, its black eyes now filled with slash marks. More red pours out from the white wolf's throat. Lilly raises her right forepaw to her own.

She jumps when she hears pawsteps echo on the collapsed stones. Lilly falls onto her side and scrambles to her paws, whirling around with her teeth bared.

"Whoa, whoa, easy, Lilly," Garth backs away a little. "It's just me. I brought back food. Um…is everything alright?"

Lilly bows her head. "I'm sorry, Garth. I guess I was just a little jumpy."

Garth narrows his eyes as he carefully lowers the caribou carcass next to the pool. He stretches his back and sighs with relief. Lilly turns back to the etchings of the white wolf on the wall. Garth notices and walks beside her. "Oh, those. Yeah, I was here one winter and just decided to carve out a little story. Nothing much. Just a stupid little power fantasy I had when I was younger. If I had remembered those were still there, I probably would have gotten rid of them. Sorry about that."

"I remember that wolf from a story Mom told me when I was younger. Her white fur, her scarred paws, the snow," Lilly places her right forepaw over the growling white wolf with the coal black eyes. "Would you really attack her?"

Garth shrugs. "Well, it's just a story. But I guess if she was real, I probably would."

The Alpha stumbles backwards as his mate suddenly turns on him and glares. "What?!"

Garth raises both forepaws. "Hey, hey, calm down, Lilly. It's just a story-"

"Why would you attack her just because she's different?! Are you so disgusted by a wolf with white fur?!" Lilly snarls, bangs shaking over her eyes.

Her mate shakes his head. "What? Because she's "different"? Well, if by "different", you mean a monster, then yeah I wou-"

Lilly leaps atop Garth and snaps her teeth just short of his nose. "What the hell is wrong with you?! I thought you were better than that! Do you think I'm a monster just because I'm white too?!" She growls, her beautiful purple eyes flaring.

"I never said that!" Garth lifts himself up, shoving her off. "Lilly, you're beautiful. I'd never think of you as a monster. But it's just a story. I don't get why you'd be so upset about this."

"Because you're talking about attacking a poor wolf that never did anything wrong!"

Garth pauses. "Wait. Are you serious? Have you actually _heard_ the story?"

"Yes! Mom told it to me when I was younger. She told me all about how this beautiful white wolf was mistreated by the others, getting her paws scarred and getting forced out into the snow. And-"

Garth blinks and then chuckles. Lilly growls. "What?"

"I think you were told a different version of the tale," Garth answers. "But right now, I'm hungry. And last I recall, so were you. So how about we stop talking about bogeywolf stories and eat, alright?"

Lilly glances back at the etchings and sighs. "Alright, Garth. I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so worked up. I guess I just thought you were…I dunno."

Garth smiles and wraps his left foreleg around Lilly. He slowly licks her right cheek. "It's okay, Lilly. It's no big deal. Though I must admit, you're kinda…hot when you're angry." He grins.

Lilly blushes furiously. Garth gives her another cheek lick. "Come on, Lilly. Let's eat."

His mate nods and follows Garth to the caribou collapsed near the pool. They begin tearing into the flesh and eat in silence. Garth ensures that she gets the heart and liver.

* * *

Garth pushes himself against the heavy rock, moving it back into place over the chamber's entrance. The amethyst light, now much more muted as day gave way to night, blips out as the rock slides into place. He pants and drags his right forepaw over his forehead. The red-orange Alpha adjusts his eyes to the creeping darkness and slowly walks towards his mate.

Lilly looks towards the mouth of the cave. Snow starts to fall, leaving flecks of white across the graying sky. She feels Garth's forelegs wrap around her and she giggles when he rests his head next to hers. The white wolf nuzzles him and yips when he runs his tongue under her chin and along the side of her throat. Garth grins and releases her, content with the coy smile she gives him.

After a few moments gazing at each other, Lilly walks to the entrance and looks to the sky. Gray clouds pile on, trying to bury the moon as more snow falls. She feels the snow spread out beneath her paws, a little chill tingling her pads. Lilly looks up to the moon and cranes her head back. Her howl starts out small and smooth, sounding like a gentle breeze in the summer. Soon, her howl rises to a sweet melody in spite of the snow falling atop her lips. She closes her eyes and continues.

Her eyes open as another howl starts next to her, much lower and much slower. Garth's mane shifts as he tilts his head. Little dots of white begin to line his brow as her big, strong Alpha continues. Lilly smiles at the sound of the howl she helped improve, although her eyes playfully look about for any signs of potential falling birds. Garth deepens, adding a few little beats like pawsteps running along a path.

Soon, Lilly joins him, mixing in her sweet melody. She rests her right forepaw atop his left one and howls from the heart. The snow seems to slow around them. Lilly takes a step forward, bravely inching towards the ledge. Garth follows, keeping his left forepaw ahead of hers, but maintaining the howl. They glance at each other and lower their heads, deepening their shared tone. As the moon begins to sink behind the clouds, the couple hikes their heads up in a finisher.

Lilly suddenly reels back, shaking her head and forcing out the snow that just flew into her nostrils and mouth. She shudders and coughs, bangs falling to cover her eyes from the rest of the falling snow. Garth watches with concern but soon feels a reassuring forepaw against his chest when Lilly stops.

"Maybe we should go back inside," Garth rests his left forepaw on her back.

Lilly nods and shakes the snow from atop her nose. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

Lilly follows Garth back into the cave and settles herself against a warmer spot in the back. She runs her tongue over her mouth, tasting the little snowflakes and ice crystals hanging on her lips. Not as good as the water in the chamber, but not bad. With a grunt, she stretches her hindlegs before she lies down. Garth soon shifts next to her and rests his head against the floor. Lilly smiles and rubs the top of his head with her right forepaw. He closes his eyes and tries not to grin. But his right hindpaw gives him away when it starts stomping.

"Sorry," Garth forces his hindpaw back down.

"It's alright. I thought it was cute," Lilly licks his cheek. She frowns as a thought comes back to her. "Listen, Garth, about earlier…"

"Don't worry about it. We all get a little excited sometimes."

"No…well, I mean…I was just thinking about earlier. That friend of yours and how he said he always kept an eye on white wolves…"

Garth facepaws and groans. "Damn it, Edmund."

"What did he mean by that exactly?"

Garth sighs. "Lilly, when we were cubs, we were told a story about a white wolf. She was born-"

"-to an Alpha family, but was an Omega and wasn't treated well, right?" Lilly asks.

Garth gets to his paws. "Well, she was born to an Alpha family, and was an Omega, yes. And that just made her incredibly jealous of Alphas. The White Wolf often attacked them, so she wasn't exactly popular. And over the years, she just got worse. One day, she ambushed an Alpha outside his cave and dragged him out into the snow. And well…" Garth gestures towards the snow falling outside. "As the snow fell, more Alphas disappeared and were found later on, buried under layers of snow with looks of _horror_ on their faces."

Lilly's eyes widen.

"So eventually, the remaining Alphas of her pack joined together to take her down. They ambushed her outside her cave. A snowstorm hit, so they scratched up her paws until they bled and forced her out into the snow. They never saw her again," Garth pauses impressively, before whirling onto Lilly, making her jump back a bit. "_BUT_, they say she still lurks around in the winter months, tracking wolves with her soulless black eyes and dragging unwilling Alphas to their doom. Just waiting in the snow," Garth steps towards her, eyes narrowed. "Waiting, waiting, until…" He snaps his teeth.

Lilly jumps back once again. Garth tilts his head back and laughs.

"What's so funny?" Lilly glares.

"Oh, come on, Lilly. You don't actually believe it, do you? It was just a bogeywolf story to keep us Alpha cubs in line. I remember when Edmund's mother would tell us that if we misbehaved, the White Wolf would snatch us away in the snow. We never believed it. It was just a joke to us, that's all. And Edmund was just joking with you."

Lilly shakes her head. "Well, that's not what I was told as a cub." She takes a deep breath and recounts the memory that returned to her within the amethyst chamber. Garth listens and chuckles a little at Eve's threat.

"Sending them on a trip to the moon?"

"Mom was a little less obvious with her death threats back then," Lilly smiles. "She was just looking out for me. Then again, telling me the version where a white wolf just like me turned out to be a homicidal maniac probably wouldn't have done wonders for my psyche. I wouldn't be a very good Omega if I kept scaring the Alphas. Then again, if I could scare Alphas, that would have saved me a lot of time dealing with Kate's crap over the years. And who knows? Maybe I could have improved upon my "Turtle Roadkill" impression while I was at it. Knock 'em all dead…so to speak."

"Heh. Starting to sound like Humphrey there," Garth notes with a level of amusement in his voice.

Lilly laughs. "Humphrey wishes he was as good as me."

The two share another laugh before Garth yawns and stretches his legs. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired." The red-orange Alpha repositions himself next to Lilly. "So I think it's best we got some shut-eye and not worry about that White Wolf nonsense." He yawns again, prompting Lilly to yawn as well. "We should probably start heading back tomorrow. I'm sorry if this wasn't exactly the best getaway."

Lilly rests her head next to Garth's. Her purple eyes begin to droop as she stretches her hindlegs. "No, it's a beautiful little place. It really is."

Garth smiles. "Good. Well, goodnight, Lilly."

"Goodnight, Gar-"

Lilly sees her mate has fallen asleep, his lovely green eyes hidden behind their lids. She gives his cheek a gentle lick and closes her eyes.

Outside, the snow continues to fall. But unseen to Lilly and Garth, another wolf stands just outside the entrance. Pale hair hangs over its face, shifted when it looks to the sky. A wind picks up, brushing its fur and nudging the wolf along the edge. It looks back at them and lifts one scarred paw to its mouth.

Lilly stirs and opens her eyes for a moment, thinking she heard pawsteps. Seeing nothing but the snowfall at the cave's opening, she falls back asleep.


	2. A Little Help from My Friends

When the she-wolf's eyes open again, Garth is pacing around the cave's entrance and shaking his head. She blinks and gets to her paws, stretching her legs and yawning as she approaches Garth. The red-orange Alpha murmurs. "Great. Just what we need. Oh well, as long as Lilly doesn't-" he pauses when he notices Lilly. "Oh, Lilly. Um…"

"Oh my…" Lilly stops just before the pile of snow building and collapsing at the entrance. She cranes her head towards the sky, now stricken with sickly whitegray lines and dark gray clouds.

Garth passes her and pushes against the pile, scattering most of it across and over the ledge. The wind ruffles his red-orange fur as he raises his left forepaw to shield his eyes. A chunk of snow hits him squarely in the face. He growls and retreats into the cave, wiping it off. "Great. Well, it looks like we'll be staying a little longer than I planned."

"It's not so bad," Lilly smiles. "It is a nice cave."

Her mate narrows his eyes at what he can see of the sky. "Knowing Dad, I'm sure he's probably sent somebody to come find us. Great. All I wanted was a little getaway and now, I'm gonna have to explain myself to Dad and probably your mom. Great," Garth rubs his temple with his left forepaw.

Lilly brushes her tail against his side. "Don't worry about it, Garth. I'm sure it'll pass soon enough. In the meantime, let's just focus on making ourselves comfortable if we're gonna be stuck here for a while. Not that I mind..." She tries a more seductive tone.

Garth blushes and nods. "Alright. Well, I should probably try to find some food. I'm sure there's a caribou out there somewhere. There's always at least one that gets trapped in the snow."

The she-wolf steps back and takes another look at the snowstorm outside. "Are you sure?"

"Relax, Lilly, I've dealt with worse snowstorms growing up. All part of my Alpha training," Garth grins. "Don't worry about me. I'll be back as soon as I can."

The red-orange wolf walks to the entrance and stretches his hindlegs in preparation of the run through the snow. Lilly watches for a moment before joining him, readying her hindlegs in a similar fashion. She is about to take off when Garth cuts her off with his left hindleg.

"Please just wait here, alright? There's no sense in us both possibly getting caught out there. I'll be back soon, I promise."

Lilly steps back, her bangs bobbing over her eyes. Garth's concerned frown briefly morphs into a reassuring smile before he turns and vanishes into the snow. She sighs and retreats to the back of the cave. "He'll be just fine. He's my mighty Alpha after all." Lilly grins.

Outside, Garth runs along the path, taking care to ensure each step is made perfectly against the snow. He keeps his head lowered and slows down as he approaches the lines of trees standing defiantly against the gray and white covering the scene. The red-orange Alpha pauses for a moment and sniffs the air. Through the chill, he picks up on the scent of something big down the way. Garth proceeds with caution, taking note of his own pawprints and checking for any others. Taking advantage of the trees' remaining leaves and thicker branches, Garth breaks here and there to clear the snow from atop his head. He sniffs the air again, the scent getting stronger. With any luck, he'll be back to the cave soon.

His etching of the howling wolf with unaligned teeth is barely visible beneath the chunks of snow sticking and sliding down the tree. Garth takes another moment to blink the white flecks from his eyes and lowers his head. When he checks it out once again, a tree lies with its stump snapped like a broken bone. The Alpha cautiously approaches the collapsed tree and notices the gigantic pile of snow cluttering its still-intact branches.

Not far from his position, caribou tracks stop just before the fallen tree, immediately rotating back towards the downhill path. Garth examines the tracks and cautiously follows along the tracks, taking care not to obliterate the caribou's prints with his own. The scent gets stronger as he runs downhill, breaking into another Alpha sprint and kicking up snow in his wake. Stronger now, Garth slows down and comes to a complete stop about halfway down the path. His green eyes widen.

Ahead, a lone caribou feebly kicks its left hind leg into the snow while its right hindleg lies useless. Another broken bone tree rests atop him, pinning the caribou by the left flank. A low branch that survived the crash jabs into the caribou's neck, drawing more blood as the creature struggles. The scent of copper hits Garth's nose, making the wolf tremble.

The caribou freezes when Garth makes his approach, what breathing he can manage while entrapped becoming labored. He raises his antlered head and looks at Garth. The red-orange Alpha looks back with wider eyes. The caribou wheezes and kicks its left hindleg faster. But the tree remains firmly in place.

Garth feels a pang in his upper chest and tries to soothe it with his left forepaw. The caribou's left hindleg collapses, wiggling a little before it becomes as limp and useless as the other. The wolf watches as the caribou tries again to slide the jutting branch out of his neck wound, succeeding with a heavy grunt and one final spurt of red. Sighing in relief, the caribou lets his head fall against the snow and looks back at Garth. Much to the wolf's surprise, the caribou weakly laughs and arches his neck. Unable to resist the scent any further, Garth snaps his jaws into the caribou's throat. The caribou closes his eyes.

After a few seconds of biting and tearing, Garth pulls back and coughs, feeling a light layer of warmth drip down his chin. He gets another look at the trapped caribou's corpse and shudders, brushing his bloodied chin against the snow. Garth takes a deep breath and pushes against the fallen tree. His hindpaws dig as he strains, barely managing to make the tree roll over. Several branches snap and the tree arcs clockwise, crushing the caribou's head but still pinning his left flank. The red-orange Alpha falls to his stomach and groans. He gets back to his paws and tries again, slipping against the weight of the tree. The remaining branches bend slightly and closer to Garth grazes his left forepaw. Garth growls and steps back, brushing the scratch with his other forepaw.

With another grunt, Garth tries to push the tree further and slips, smacking his chin against the bark. The red-orange Alpha winces and tries again, only for his hindlegs to slip again. Garth growls and shakes the chunks of snow and raised dirt from his face. The snowfall quickens above him. Garth turns his attention to what he can see of the caribou's left side. Thinking of Lilly back in the cave, Garth prepares to divide what he can of the carcass.

Someone howls.

Garth jumps to his paws and turns around, baring his teeth to the wind. Seeing no one, the red-orange Alpha calms himself and moves back to the caribou when a growl reaches his ears. Pawsteps echo around him against the quickening wind. Garth lowers himself behind the fallen tree and sniffs. A new scent. It seems familiar…yet…

Something hits the other side of the fallen tree. Garth readies to jump when a snowball flies directly into his eyes. The red-orange Alpha stumbles backwards and tries to shake the snow off when something charges right into him. Unable to open his eyes, Garth bites in his attacker's direction. Another snowball strikes him in the mouth. Garth recoils and falls onto his back, kicking his legs into the air. His attacker leaps away when Garth rolls back onto his paws.

Another growl. When Garth opens his eyes, a wolf stands a few feet away. Garth tilts his head and growls as well. The other wolf takes a step forward, revealing its unkempt and unusually light fur that almost fades against the snow. It takes another step, snapping its teeth. Its eyes appear black and empty beneath the shifting hair around its forehead. Garth notices its forepaws are scarred and maroon with caked blood. He thinks of the stories…

Garth glares and makes the first move, charging directly at the White Wolf. The White Wolf leaps to the side and bites at Garth's rear. The red-orange Alpha whirls onto the White Wolf and just misses her left cheek. The White Wolf jumps over the fallen tree, lands near the caribou's throat wound, and disappears. He cautiously approaches the tree and leaps to the other side. A trail of pawprints leads down the path, touched with drops of red slowly being wiped out by the falling snow. Garth pants and backs to the caribou, taking care not to step in the blood. He waits a few moments more for any sign of the White Wolf. Seeing nothing, Garth lowers his head to take a bite when his stomach rumbles.

The White Wolf lunges from behind and sinks her teeth into the back of his neck. Garth howls and bucks, but his attacker holds on as he runs and trips down the path. The White Wolf moves to take another bite around his throat when Garth kicks his hindlegs, throwing the White Wolf onto her side. Small warm drops trickle down the back of Garth's neck as he turns to confront the White Wolf getting to her paws. She snaps her jaws and jumps to her left. Garth snarls and follows, throwing himself to the right as the White Wolf charges him. The red-orange Alpha slams into her, knocking the White Wolf into the nearest tree. She groans and collapses into the snow.

Garth cautiously approaches the fallen wolf and tries to get a closer look. Something seems off about the color. Not quite white, but more like-

The wolf cries out as something slams him directly into another tree. Garth tries getting to his paws when it charges again. It shoves a pawful of snow directly into his eyes and rams him again. Garth throws himself ahead, falling out of his other attacker's reach. When he manages to clear the snow from his eyes, the White Wolf goes directly for his face with her mouth open. He throws his forepaws around her muzzle and pushes her off. As she stumbles about, Garth readies to bite her throat or right foreleg.

Something seizes him by the tail and drags him backwards. Garth digs his forepaws into the snow and flips onto his back. The White Wolf leaps down and tries to bite at his throat once more. Garth counters her with his forepaws until he swings directly into another pair of trees. The red-orange Alpha struggles to hold back tears as his sides and legs scream in pain.

The White Wolf's jaws seize around the back of his neck and slam Garth's head against the bark. Garth pushes his hindlegs to anchor himself, but falls back, staring towards the canopies of the trees hit hard and fast by the snowfall. He feels more warmth run down the back of his neck as the White Wolf throws him.

Garth rolls down an incline among the trees and lands squarely into a hole conveniently fitted to his size. His head pulses and his vision blurs into falling chunks of snow. His mind turns to Lilly pacing worriedly in the cave, tempted to run into the storm to find him. He growls and struggles to his paws. Head still spinning and filled with images of a scared Lilly, Garth digs his claws into the snow walls. They fail to pull up and a crack forms towards the opening. Snow drops on Garth's head and knocks him onto his rear. The red-orange wolf groans as his head suddenly feels like a weight. His forelegs slip down the wall again.

The White Wolf stands over him and laughs. Before Garth can move, she begins kicking snow into the pit.

* * *

Lilly shakes herself awake for the fourth time since Garth has left. She licks her lips and massages her stomach. The she-wolf stretches her forelegs and watches the snowflakes that manage to creep onto the cavern walls. She yawns and walks towards the entrance to check for any sign of Garth. Her mighty Alpha doesn't appear with fresh caribou meat. She frowns and retreats into the cave.

The she-wolf turns when she hears panicked pawsteps approaching the cave. In stumbles Stephen, skidding a little along the snowy cavern entrance floor, who tries to catch his breath against the wall. He looks to Lilly. "Oh! Miss Lilly! Miss Lilly! It's terrible!" Stephen winces as his forepaws give out, dropping him to the floor.

Lilly runs to Stephen and helps him to his paws. When she looks up, a familiar cinnabar wolf approaches her, eyes widened and muzzle quivering. "Oh, Lilly…it's horrible."

"What's horrible?" Lilly asks, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her heart.

Stephen blushes and grins a little against Lilly, thankfully something she doesn't notice when she brushes him aside. Edmund hangs his head. "We saw Garth tailing a caribou down the way. But then…something got him. Another wolf, it looked like. Probably another damn Rogue. They never learn!" Edmund stomps his left forepaw.

Lilly rushes to him. "What?! Who did it?! Who attacked my Garth?! I'll rip out their leg bones and make a tent out of their CARCASS!" She growls just as her mother might.

Edmund calmly raises his forepaws. "Settle down, Miss Lilly. We don't know who did it. What we do know is that it looked like a white wolf attacking and driving him further into the snow. And the only white wolf we know of in these parts is you. But of course you wouldn't do anything to hurt your…mate, correct?"

Lilly death glares.

Edmund nods. "I didn't think so. The Rogues must have recruited some other white wolf to make sneak attacks in the snow. Didn't think they'd be able to handle a snowstorm, but that shows you must never underestimate them-"

Lilly snaps her teeth. "Where is my Garth?!"

Edmund steps back. "Now, calm down, Miss Lilly. We'll find him. Stephen and I were prepared for this sort of thing thanks to Alpha School. And I'm sure Garth can handle himself. But just to be sure, we're going to investigate immediately. We just wanted you to know so you can be prepared in case he returns he-"

Lilly stomps her right forepaw. "Returns, nothing! I'm not gonna sit here while he's out there struggling for life! Take me where you last saw him!"

Edmund glances over to Stephen who nods. "Very well. But stay by me. Although I'm sure you Omegas have experience with snowstorms, it is crucial that you stay right beside me. We don't need you getting lost either."

Lilly glares, but follows close to Edmund as he vacates the cave and crosses the narrow path near the ledge. Stephen sidles alongside Lilly and offers a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Miss Lilly. I'll make sure we don't lose you."

"Stephen!"

The pale tan wolf tenses up and rushes ahead of Edmund. Lilly rolls her eyes and keeps her pace as the cinnabar wolf meets with Stephen at the top of the path heading downhill through the trees. Stephen leans over and whispers something to Edmund. The cinnabar wolf nods and tilts his head towards the trees to their left. Stephen nods back and disappears among them.

"Stephen is an excellent tracker despite his shortcomings. He'll search along the trees extending to our left while we'll scour the path. But remember, we need to stay toge-"

Lilly runs ahead, trying her hardest to shake the mental image of a bloody and beaten Garth trapped out in the snow. She blinks the white flecks from her eyes as she slows down to follow the disappearing sets of wolf tracks among the fresher ones left by Edmund and Stephen. The she-wolf tilts her head back and sniffs around for any trace of Garth's scent. Nothing comes to her. Her ears fold against her head.

She continues along the path, halting just short of the first fallen tree. Crouching, she leaps over the bark and keeps moving. In her mind, Garth battles the White Wolf as she tries to sink her teeth into his throat. The wind picks up and shifts her bangs into her eyes. Lilly blows them out of her face and breaks into a run as the snow comes down against her back. Somewhere behind her, Edmund calls her name and yells for her to wait up.

Lilly slows as she comes near the second collapsed tree with the dead caribou pinned beneath it. She leaps over it and lands atop a half-frozen puddle of blood. The she-wolf glances down and screams, falling back against the tree. Edmund lands a few feet from her and turns around. He immediately checks her paws and notices the dead caribou's throat wound.

"Miss Lilly, calm down. It's just caribou blood," Edmund pats her back as Lilly catches her breath. The cinnabar wolf moves to check the cluster of interweaving and frantic pawprints ahead of them. "Yes, this is where our suspected Rogue attacked Garth. It appears…" He shakes his head with a growl when his eyes travel over the barely-visible drops of blood heading down the path. "It appears he's-"

"Edmund! Miss Lilly! Edmund! Miss Lilly!"

Lilly turns and watches as Stephen stumbles through and over the snow, calling their names over and over. He collides with the fallen tree and groans as he recovers. Rubbing his nose with his left forepaw, Stephen climbs over the tree and makes his way to the cinnabar wolf. "I saw him! I saw Garth heading back that way!" He points towards the top of the path. "I think he was trying to get to the cave!"

The white wolf jumps over the fallen tree and starts making her way back uphill, ignoring Edmund and Stephen's calls for her to slow down. In her mind, Garth drags himself towards the cave and stares in horror when he doesn't find her. She breaks into a run, expertly leaping over the other fallen tree without looking back. Her bangs brush about her forehead, purple eyes glaring into the oncoming snow. Suddenly, her forepaws catch on a thicker pile and she tumbles, landing against a tree. A sharp ring echoes through Lilly's head.

Edmund slows down and helps Lilly while Stephen runs ahead. Lilly looks up, seeing the barely visible etching of the younger Garth with his unaligned teeth and the birds above. She turns back to the top of the path and notices the shallow impression, like a wolf dragging himself with every effort he can. Pawprints lead from the trees to her right, laced with drops of blood here and there.

"Miss Lilly!" Stephen calls. "Edmund! I see him! He's in the trees down there!"

The cinnabar wolf moves ahead of her and joins the pale tan wolf at his left side as he looks over the ledge just outside the cave's entrance. Lilly follows and, much to her horror, sees the pawprints and drag heading over the side just outside the entrance. Edmund and Stephen crowd the ledge and call down to Garth. Lilly pauses and raises her right ear and nose. Getting neither Garth's scent nor voice, Lilly cautiously approaches the two wolves overlooking the ledge.

Stephen shivers a little as Lilly approaches. Edmund turns back to her. "Miss Lilly, he's down there. Poor bastard can't even move." He looks over the edge. "It's alright, Garth! We see you! Lilly's here! She's right here!"

Lilly's ears fold against her head and a growl builds in her throat. Her eyes return to the pawprints and drag trail heading over the ledge. Some more pawprints with drops of blood in them curve from the rocks jutting out of the cliffside and end just behind Stephen. Getting a closer look, Stephen's forepaws are scratched and bloodied. And the fur on his undersides is wet and dusted with snow…

The she-wolf releases the growl from her throat and readies to attack Stephen. She fails to notice as Edmund charges directly into her. Lilly tumbles forward and throws out her forepaws, managing to claw into the ledge with her hindlegs kicking wildly. Stephen watches in horror as Edmund buries his claws directly into Lilly's forepaws. Lilly growls, but then screams when Edmund pulls his claws back. The cold air stings against the scratch marks and drops of warm blood coat her white forepaws.

"Do we have to do this, Edmund?" Stephen asks, ears folded against his head.

Edmund doesn't take his eyes off Lilly. "We have to do what's best, Stephen. And she will just makes thing worse than she already has."

Lilly glares. "What are you talking about?!"

Edmund digs his claws deeper, making Lilly scream some more. "You and your boyfriend ruined the natural order! An Alpha and an Omega! That's not how our society works! We have traditions! We have ways! I spent so long learning how to become an Alpha and I'm not going to watch as you RUIN EVERYTHING!"

Stephen whines. "You don't have to hurt her."

"It's because of her and that idiot that our pack will never be the same! Think about it, Stephen! Alphas like us will no longer have the status and position we've so worked so hard to achieve! Omegas will overtake everything. And we'll be stuck with nothing. Because. You. Don't. Know. YOUR. PLACE!"

Edmund releases Lilly's bloodied forepaws and shoves his into her face. Lilly grabs for the cliff as she plummets. Her claws barely scratch the rocky edge before she slips. The she-wolf flips onto her back and lands atop the extended branches of the trees below. Their barbs dig into her back. The branches bend and break, sending the white wolf down the lower branches. One cuts her cheek as it snaps. Lilly closes her eyes and feels herself being flung between the two trees, cracking more branches and slamming against the bark. She throws her claws out to seize anything she can, but slips. Keeping her eyes closed, she continues to fall.

Stephen leans over the ledge as far as his scratched forepaws will let him. He watches as Lilly disappears in the raging snow below, her purple eyes fading and fading. The pale tan wolf glares at Edmund who watches with a look of horror on his face. The cinnabar wolf examines his bloody claws and groans. He rubs them against the snow, watching as thinning pinkred drops of red crawl over the ledge. Edmund takes another look down over the ledge.

"It had to be done, Stephen," Edmund manages. "It had to be done."

Stephen frowns.

Edmund glares. "Come on, Stephen."

As the two wolves depart, Lilly collides with a snow bank below. She carefully pulls up with her scratched hindlegs as she sinks back-first into the bank. Lilly presses her forelegs up and tries to flip herself over. The snow bank gives out underneath her. With a scream, she rushes forward over the edge and lands directly into another snow bank several feet below. Lilly closes her eyes and winces as she hits face-first. The thick snow stings her muzzle and nose and her head seems to explode into a cacophony of rings and pulses.

She forces her right foreleg up and reaches for the surface of the bank. The wind burns against the scratches on her legs sticking out of the snow. Lilly coughs up snow threatening to gag her. The she-wolf desperately kicks with what strength she has left-anything to get onto her rear so she can climb out. The snow works against her and she begins to sink.

Coughing more snow, Lilly tries to howl. Her attempt breaks into a frail, tuneless whimper that soon breaks into an ugly moan. She tries her to right foreleg again, but continues to sink into the snow. Her eyes still closed, she thinks of Garth looking for her in the snow, beaten and bloodied. And Edmund and Stephen following him close behind, teeth readied…

Lilly makes one attempt at pulling herself out of the bank as the snow falls atop her chest. She cries softly as her foreleg collapses to the stinging cuts and wind. Somewhere in the distance, Edmund and Stephen search for Garth. His mate sinks deeper into the snow and keeps her eyes closed tight. Lilly

* * *

_runs along with Kate across the snow. She hates that her sister keeps running too far ahead, leaving her behind. It's bad enough that she teases about how easy it'd be to lose Lilly in the snow because she'd never leave pawprints. The little white wolf growls, reassured every time she looks behind her and sees pawprints following her every move._

_ "Kate, get back here! Mom said you aren't supposed to leave me behind!" Lilly yells at Kate who disappears behind a tree. She growls again and runs to the tree, only to find Kate gone once again. "Come on, Kate! This isn't funny!"_

_ Kate leaps from behind a tree several feet away, spooking Lilly into running. "White wolf! White wolf! Scare her away!" she teases. Her sister runs directly into a tree and cries a little, rubbing her head with both forepaws. Kate runs to her sister's aide, gently separating her sister's forepaws and giving a comforting lick to the spot. Yet, she can't help but giggle._

_ "Not funny!" Lilly pushes Kate away. She winces and rubs the sore spot again._

_ "It was just a joke," Kate protests. "Geez, Lilly. You cry over everything."_

_ "That's not funny! You're just like those mean wolves from the story!"_

_ "That's just it, Lilly. It was _just_ a story."_

_ Lilly snaps at Kate. The elder sister falls back, surprised the other would even try that. "What is your problem, Lilly? It was just a joke!"_

_ The little white wolf doesn't relent. "I'll tell Mom."_

_ "Oh, come on, Lilly! Learn to take a joke!"_

_ Lilly shakes her head. "Just shut up and leave me alone, Kate!" The little white wolf turns and breaks into a run among the trees._

_ "Lilly! Wait! Get back here!" Kate follows._

_ Lilly ignores her and keeps going. Now hoping her pawprints really will disappear, Lilly leaps into unmarked snow curving around a cluster of trees ahead. She tucks herself in a nearby shrub and waits. She hears Kate calling for her, pawsteps coming towards and then passing by the shrub. Lilly huddles in the shrub until she doesn't hear or see any trace of her sister. The little white wolf lets out the cry that has been building up in her throat since she felt the barbs dig into her back. Lilly immediately moves out of the shrub and continues along the unmarked snow._

_ Several minutes of silence pass, save for the sound of snow crunching and sinking beneath her paws. Lilly looks around for any sign of Kate. She sighs with relief when she doesn't see her sister among the trees. The little white wolf keeps walking, stopping every once in a while to check for her pawprints on the snow. Shaking her head, Lilly admonishes herself for still doing that. Her sister is just a jerk._

_ And she is lost._

_ Lilly sees more snow untouched by wolves or any creature for that matter. The trees get closer and closer together, forming dark shadows along her way. She shivers as the cold really starts to set. Lilly comes to a stop before a large tree growing directly ahead of her. The little white wolf cranes her neck and watches in awe at how the tree seems to stretch for miles above her, vanishing into a dark abyss of leaves. Just like the other trees around her._

_ The little white wolf panics and runs around the tree's base, fearing that something might jump out at her. She growls and tries to mimic Eve's threatening postures. Nothing appears. Lilly sighs with relief, until she looks ahead of her. Her eyes widen at the sight of unmarked snow ahead of her. Her pawprints finally vanished into the snow._

_ Lilly shivers and clings to the tree. Her eyes tear up a little and a small wail works its way up her throat. It's just like Kate said. One day, her pawprints would disappear completely. And she'd be lost. Lilly claws the bark and begins to cry-scream. More tears flow freely as she digs her claws deeper. Her growing bangs droop over her eyes, spreading her hot tears across her cheeks and the bridge of her muzzle._

_ "Kate! Mom! Dad! Somebody! Somebody! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, Kate! Someone! PLEEEEEEEASE!"_

_ Lilly chokes on a breath of extra cold air and hides her face against the bark. She shivers so hard her fur feels like it may fall out. Her ears fold tightly against her head. Her claws dig deeper into the bark._

_ She hears pawsteps coming towards her. Lilly keeps her face hidden and her eyes closed._

_ The little white wolf jumps from her place against the bark when she feels a forepaw rest on her back. A foreleg wraps around Lilly and pulls her close. Her tear-clouded eyes see only a world of mushy whites and grays. But that lick atop her head is unmistakable._

_ Lilly tugs on her sister's mane and cries a little more. Kate brushes her right forepaw along Lilly's back. "It's alright, Lilly. I've got you. You're gonna be alright."_

_ "I'm sorry I ran away. I'm sorry I wished my pawprints would disappear in the snow like you said they would. And now they're gone and now I don't know where I am and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Kate…"_

_ Lilly lifts her head when Kate chuckles a little. "Your pawprints didn't disappear, Lilly. They're right over there." Kate guides her little sister around the tree and shows her a set of pawprints leading directly to it. Lilly glances between them and the ones beneath her paws. Her mouth quivers a little. "I'm a stupid Omega!"_

_ Kate brushes her sister's head. "You are not stupid. You just got scared. It happens to all of us. Even me."_

_ "Really?" Lilly looks at her._

_ Kate nods. "Well, yeah. I got scared that you might have gotten lost for real. Listen, Lilly. I'm sorry I was being mean to you. I won't do that again."_

_ "You promise?"_

_ "I promise."_

_ Lilly nods and brushes the remaining tears from her eyes with her right foreleg. "Alright then. But I'll make sure you keep that promise."_

_ "I will. Now, we better get home. Or else Mom'll freak."_

_ Kate follows the pawprints. Lilly follows her and keeps at her right side. "Um, Kate…you don't have to tell Mom about this, do you?"_

_ "No. As long as you don't have to tell her about my mean joke."_

_ Lilly nods. "I won't."_

_ Kate smiles. "Good. Now, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."_

_ The little white wolf nods again and follows her sister closely as the unfamiliar trees recede behind them. Lilly_

* * *

gasps for air, kicking her legs around like the turtle trapped upside-down on its shell. She rolls onto her side and skitters across the ground, eventually tripping over her panicky forepaws. The white wolf groans and coughs up a few flecks of snow. She blinks.

The snow bank has disappeared, replaced by some unknown and barely lit cave. She examines herself. The cuts have stopped bleeding and stinging. Lilly then closely inspects her forepaws. They are scratched, but have since stopped bleeding as well. They are also a little damp. Someone else was here.

Lilly stands attentively and growls, expecting to see Edmund or Stephen appear in a sneak attack. She calms when she sees no one, but the growl from her throat is soon replaced by the growl from her stomach. The white wolf looks around the cave for any bits of food, maybe some pieces from that fallen caribou.

To her left, a worn tan bag lies against the wall. Lilly cautiously approaches it, taking note of the bag's black markings on the front (reading JASPER NATIONAL PARK SERVICE in bold). A familiar scent hits her nose and she carefully lifts the flap with her muzzle. Inside the bag, caribou meat sits waiting for her. Lilly's tongue hangs from her mouth, already drooling at the sight of presented food. Without thinking about it any further, she bows her head and begins feasting on some of the bag's contents. The meat is delicious.

When she is about a third of the way through the bag's contents, a mental image occurs to her. In her mind, Garth struggles over the snow and calls her name over the harsh wind. He winces and groans with each step, revealing another injury each second.

"No, not Garth…" Lilly murmurs. "No, no, no, I have to find him."

Lilly readies to leave the cave when she remembers the bag. She nudges the flap back into place and notices the bag's long strap. Moving the bag just slightly, Lilly fits herself through the strap, situating the bag onto her back. It fits perfectly, as does the strap resting nicely against her upper chest. Ensuring it doesn't slip, Lilly steps out of the cave.

The snowstorm has slowed to a mild scatter of white flecks over the world. The paths and trees ahead are more visible now. She appreciates the slower wind that doesn't sting her cuts and doesn't knock the bag off her back. Lilly takes a few more cautious steps into the open and takes note of her surroundings. They don't look familiar-or at the very least, she cannot see Garth's cliffside cave or the path leading up to it. Lilly frowns.

Something catches her eye in the distance.

Lilly takes a few more steps forward and watches as another wolf manifests on the horizon. It slowly walks over the small hill towards her, treading rather expertly over the clumps of snow. The she-wolf readies herself for a fight, expecting to see Edmund or Stephen appear. But the mystery wolf comes no closer than fifty feet away. Lilly leans in to get a closer look at her visitor. The figure has white fur just like hers, mercifully not pale tan or cinnabar.

"Who are you?" Lilly calls.

The white wolf doesn't answer and instead turns its back to Lilly. It tilts its head and sniffs. It stands to attention and turns back to her, nodding its head in the direction ahead of them. Lilly pauses for a moment, wondering if she should really follow. Unfortunately, the mystery wolf does not give her much time and immediately takes off. Lilly follows after her.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Lilly calls again as she pursues.

The mystery wolf does not answer her, instead remaining focused on its path ahead of her. Lilly notes the pawprints trailing from behind and picks up the pace.

Garth's mate passes over two small hills and through multiple trees. The mystery wolf continues on, stopping here and there to ensure Lilly is following. Lilly heeds its gestures and moves along, ensuring that the bag of caribou meat doesn't fall off or disrupt her run. The mystery wolf keeps going, expertly navigating around trees and rocks jutting from the snow. Lilly avoids tripping over several overturned sharp stones that rise from the ground like teeth scattered by the storm. For some reason, the trees become familiar, although Lilly can't place them. Her leading wolf pauses again at the top of the next path, waiting as Lilly catches her breath and reshifts the bag back into place.

"Hold on!" Lilly tries again. "Where are you going?! I have to find my mate! He's out there in the snow and might be in more danger now! Hello?!"

The mystery wolf acknowledges her once with an over-the-side glance and nods. As Lilly nears, the mystery wolf takes off once again. Lilly groans and keeps running. For some reason, she cannot break away, even as the other white wolf gets faster and periodically vanishes into the snow ahead of them. Taking another moment to shake the collecting snow from the top of her head, Lilly once again pursues the mystery wolf.

Ahead of them, a series of inclines line a taller hill. Lilly halts at the sight of it, wondering how she will climb something so steep. The mystery wolf doesn't take long to show her. Like in the amethyst chamber of Garth's cave, several collapsed stones line the side of the hill, resembling dissembled flights of stairs. The mystery wolf leaps from one to the other without breaking a sweat. About halfway up, the other white wolf pauses and looks down at Lilly.

That lingering feeling still inside, Lilly cautiously approaches the first collapsed stone and lifts herself atop it. The bag of caribou meat shifts to her left side, prompting her to rebalance it back in place. She sees the next one a few feet above her. With a sigh, Lilly crouches and then leaps onto the next collapsed stone. Her forepaws manage to keep her anchored as she drags the rest of herself onto the stone. The bag sways.

Predictably, the mystery wolf leaps to the other collapsed stones, eventually making it to the top. Mustering what strength she can, Lilly jumps to each collapsed stone and, barring one occasion where she barely avoided plummeting thanks to a well-placed hindleg, makes it to the top without any trouble. She drops onto the snow, panting heavily as the mystery wolf watches over her. Much closer now, Lilly tries to get a good look at her fellow white wolf. For a moment, she sees that her paws are scarred.

Immediately, the mystery wolf takes off again, much to Lilly's annoyance as she resumes chase. The mystery wolf runs along a path lining the hill's ledge and disappears around the top. Keeping the bag in place, Lilly follows and emerges onto the top with a pant and a grunt.

The mystery wolf settles on what looks like a patch of shifted snow. With one scarred paw, the mystery wolf breaks the snow and starts to dig. Lilly cautiously approaches the mystery wolf as it continues digging, tossing some snow that barely misses Lilly's head. The mystery wolf's digging becomes more frantic now, as its forelegs have almost completely disappeared. Lilly leans forward.

She reels back as a red-orange forepaw shoots through the snow. Its digits curl just slightly as the forepaw shivers. Lilly takes a sniff…and immediately jumps into the hole. The bag drops to her side as she pulls up and removes the snow around the raised forepaw. She pants as a foreleg pierces through the snow, shuddering in the exposed cold air.

"Garth! Hold on! Please hold on!"

The mystery wolf has vanished among the trees. No signs of pawprints leading away either. Heavier snow begins to fall and the bitter wind pushes against her back. Lilly lets out a frustrated groan and throws the bag of caribou meat off her back and onto the outside edge of the hole when it drops in front of her forelegs. She winces when the snow scrapes against her scratched forepaws, but the sight of the barely moving foreleg keeps her digging. More of the foreleg is exposed and it reaches for her. Lilly stops for a moment and holds the foreleg in both of her forepaws. It makes contact with her cut cheek.

"Yes, Garth, I'm here. I'm here."

Despite her forepaws threatening to crack open and bleed again as the embedded ice crystals and abrasive chunks of snow rub against them, Lilly continues to dig. Suddenly, the snow shifts under her, making Lilly yelp. The foreleg grabs the surface and pulls. Right next to Lilly's right cheek, another foreleg emerges and reaches for the ground. Lilly digs some more, faster now even as one scratch on her right forepaw splits open and stings under the touch of the wind. The she-wolf grits her teeth and forces the forepaw down, removing another layer of snow in a swipe.

The snow beneath her shifts again as something emerges. Lilly clears more snow from the figure's head as a muzzle breaks through the snow. Garth weakly gasps and breathes, his forelegs still trying to pull himself out. Lilly carefully removes snow from around the muzzle, revealing more and more of her mate's face. When she brushes the icy chunk from his tightened eyelids, Garth's brilliant green eyes fly open. He tries to scream.

"It's alright. It's alright. I'm here," Lilly gives his muzzle a reassuring lick as she steps back and continues digging. Another scratch on her left forepaw splits, leaving a few drops of blood on the snow. Lilly ignores it as she unearths Garth's ears. She leans close. "I'm here. I'm here."

Garth's brilliant green eyes close and his breathing slows. Lilly stifles a gasp and digs faster, feeling her claws threatening to pull out of her forepaws. As Garth's neck is exposed, she leans down and gives it a tug. Garth lets out a disturbing moan, making Lilly release it immediately. She checks his neck and notices the bite marks and drops of frozen blood like little rubies. Lilly frowns but leans forward and pulls on Garth's neck once again.

She falls into the hole, feeling the snow of the storm collapse atop her. With a growl, Lilly keeps pulling and drags more of Garth out of the snow. Releasing him, she moves around and positions herself around his forelegs. Lilly leans in close.

"Garth, listen to me. If you can, wrap your front legs around me. Just like you're hugging me, alright?"

Garth weakly nods and then shifts his forelegs around her. Feeling his mighty Alpha forepaws rest on her backside, Lilly pulls up, throwing her weight against her hindlegs. Garth begins to slide out some more. His eyes remain closed, but he begins licking Lilly's face once his muzzle makes contact. Lilly blushes, but continues to pull as hard as she can. Almost all of Garth has emerged now, save for his hindlegs still rooted in the snow.

Her mate whimpers a little when she breaks his hold on her. Heartbreaking as that sound is, Lilly jumps to the top of the hole and roots her hindlegs into the upper layer. In the hole, Garth blindly reaches for her. Lilly lowers her forepaws and gently grabs the top of his head. Picking up on the cue, Garth turns towards the snow wall rising up to Lilly.

"Easy, Garth," she tells him. "Easy. Now, please come up slowly."

Garth nods and stretches his forepaws to meet with her upper forelegs. She pulls back, trying to keep her weight off her forelegs. The snow wall threatens to break beneath her. Lilly growls and keeps pulling. Garth's head is about level with the top of the hole now as Lilly shifts his forepaws from her upper forelegs to around her sides. She drags him up onto the side of the hole, grunting and panting. Garth's forelegs shake and shiver, almost making her lose her grip. Lilly brushes her right forepaw against his face, calming him almost instantly.

With another heave, Lilly frees Garth's hindlegs which hang limp as she drags him out of the hole. Garth tries to stand, but collapses right next to Lilly. She whines and presses her right ear against his chest. His heart still beats and his chest still shifts slightly with inhale and exhale, but his eyes remain closed. Reassuring herself that her mighty Alpha is still here, Lilly retrieves the half-buried bag of caribou meat and carefully moves the strap around Garth's head, settling it against his upper chest. Garth groans a little. Lilly closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her scratched paws ache, her backside feels sore, and her legs threaten to give out under her. She ignores them and readies for what she must do next.

The she-wolf pushes herself under Garth's left side, propping his left foreleg and hindleg over her back. She carefully pushes further, shifting Garth atop her back with his legs straddling her sides. The bag of caribou meat thankfully stays in place as Lilly pushes to keep herself from collapsing under Garth's weight. She remembers the times he seemed to carry her so easily. Like that time when he chivalrously carried her on his back across a field of mud. "Couldn't let her beautiful paws be tainted by such filth", he had told her. Or all those times he propped her up on his back so she could climb hard-to-reach spots. Her mighty Alpha made it seem so easy. And now, she had to be his mighty Omega.

"Be strong, my mighty Alpha," Lilly says quietly as she positions Garth just right. She looks ahead, ensuring that Edmund and Stephen are nowhere in sight. Seeing neither a cinnabar or pale tan wolf, Lilly starts to walk. Garth's muzzle shields her eyes from the most direct snow, although his cold undersides send literal chills up her spine. Lilly shivers, but continues onward.

Moving among the trees, Lilly soon recognizes the upcoming path. Garth's weight and the bag of caribou meat keep her from moving too fast, but Lilly continues, forcing her paws and legs through the building layers of snow. Her scratched forepaws ache and sting, but she disregards them. She checks ahead and sees the tree with the etching of the howling wolf. Lilly smiles and continues onward, making it to the top of the path. Her mate lets out a heartbreaking moan and tries to open his eyes.

"We're almost there, Garth."

Garth and the bag threaten to fall off her back as she reaches the narrow path heading back towards the cave. She shifts both to her left just slightly as she walks along the ledge. Lilly does not look to her right, not wanting to see the trees with the broken branches or the remnants of Edmund and Stephen's attempt on her life. She growls as she hauls Garth and the bag into the cave. A little howl of triumph escapes her lips as she rests Garth and the bag against the inner cavern wall.

Lilly turns back for a moment and wonders how long it might be before Edmund and Stephen come back to see if she's really dead. She grunts and moves to the rock blocking the entrance to the amethyst-lit chamber. Her hindlegs ache, but Lilly nevertheless pushes herself against the rock. Dirt and dust smudge against her already snow-coated right side. The rock barely begins to budge, all while shifting like it may fall back into place. Lilly jumps back when it shifts too close. She stomps her right forepaw and throws herself against it once again.

"Come on…come on…" Lilly murmurs.

This time, the rock miraculously falls to the side, revealing the entrance to her. She leans inside and feels the warmer air within. The purple light greets her, the cluster of crystals still shining. Getting Garth and the bag of caribou meat onto her back once more, Lilly carries him down the collapsed stone stairs, tripping up once when her left hindleg gives out. He groans a little as Lilly sets him down next to the pool. Noticing his cuts and frozen drops of blood, Lilly dips her paw in the sweet water. It's much warmer than she remembers. She moves to the bag and bites off a chunk of its flap. Garth's eyes remain shut and he whimpers when she places the wet cloth onto his back.

"It's alright, Garth. You're safe now," she coos into his ear as she cleans the bite marks on the back of his neck. "I'm here."

Garth manages a smile. Lilly returns it and nuzzles him lightly. When she finishes tending to his neck wounds, Garth's mate rests against him. He immediately clings to her. She feels so pleasantly warm.

"Rest easy, my almighty Alpha," Lilly whispers as she sinks into his embrace.


End file.
